5 tips on how to manage health and safety in the workplace

Want fewer accidents, stronger team morale, and full legal compliance without the jargon and overwhelm?

These five essential tips are more than just items on a checklist; they’re the foundation of a safer, smarter workplace that works for everyone, whether you're managing a busy warehouse or a quiet office.

Before we get into the practical aspects, there are two things to keep in mind:

• There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every workplace is different. Whether you're running a construction site, café, office, or factory floor, your safety measures must be tailored to your environment and the specific risks that come with it.

  
  

• Housekeeping matters more than you think. Many of the most common workplace accidents, like those linked to slips, trips, and falls, are entirely preventable. They often come down to untidy, cluttered, or poorly maintained spaces. Sometimes, the most effective actions are also the simplest.

  
  

Now let’s get into the five essential tips that will help you build a workplace where safety is part of the culture, not just a compliance exercise.

How to manage health and safety in the workplace: 5 top tips

1. Spot it, Sort it: Managing everyday risks before it becomes a real problem

The cornerstone of any effective health and safety strategy is a proactive approach to risk. But what is a hazard? A hazard is something that has the potential to cause harm. They can be physical, like heavy lifting, environmental, like poor lighting and wet floors, or they can be ergonomic, like prolonged use of display screen equipment.

The golden rule is: as soon as you spot it, sort it. Waiting increases the chance of harm, so encourage your team to act quickly and report early.

The near miss is a gift

One of the most overlooked tools in your arsenal is the near miss. These are the incidents where something almost went wrong, and they are the gold dust, so you must understand their value. You can find more information on investigating near misses here.

Every near miss reported is an opportunity to learn, improve, and prevent something more serious from happening. When people know their concerns will be acted on, they’re more likely to speak up, which leads us nicely to the next point.

2. From Day One: Why safety starts with smart onboarding

If you can nurture a new worker during induction and onboarding, they will have a long and successful career with your business and will be a great ambassador for safety. A good safety culture starts at the beginning. Your induction and onboarding process should make it clear that health and safety are embedded in how your business operates, not an afterthought or a tick-box exercise.

When new team members understand what is expected and why it matters, they’re more likely to adopt safe behaviours from the start. It’s far easier to build good habits early than to unpick bad ones later. Effective onboarding doesn’t just protect your people; it sets the tone for long-term success.

3. Speak Up to Stay Safe: Building a culture where concerns aren’t ignored

Health and safety is much about culture as it is about compliance. Businesses that manage risks well always have one thing in common. Leadership that leads by example. When directors and managers take safety seriously, it sends a clear message across the entire organisation.

Encourage your team to speak up about concerns without fear of being ignored, blamed, or dismissed. That openness, backed up by visible action, builds trust. And a trusted team is a safer, more productive one.

4. Prepared, Not Panicked: Emergency plans that actually work

Emergencies might seem rare, but UK businesses are responding to a much broader and complex set of risks than ever before. So, when they happen, your team needs to know exactly what to do. That’s where clear, well-tested emergency plans come in.

Think:

• Health emergencies

• Workplace violence and aggression

• Medical emergencies

• Mental health and stress-related incidents

• Chemical or biological exposure

• Extreme weather and environmental conditions

• Electrical and technical failures

• Evacuation and lockdown (gas leaks, suspicious packages, terror alerts, industrial accidents)

• Fatigue and safety-critical work

• Public health crises

Or any situation that could disrupt normal operations or put people at risk. The aim is simple: respond quickly and effectively, so your business can return to normal with minimal disruption.

Plans should be practical, easy to follow, and regularly tested through drills and reviews. It’s not enough to have a policy on paper, your team needs to practise and keep practising. You can find further support here.

5. Technology is Your Ally: Use digital tools to make safety easier

Health and safety doesn’t have to mean piles of paperwork. Today’s digital tools can simplify almost every part of your health and safety management, whether it's reporting hazards and tracking training, or completing audits and monitoring risk assessments.

There’s a wide range of apps and software systems designed to help businesses like yours manage compliance efficiently and with far less admin. The result? More visibility, fewer errors, and more time to focus on running your business.

Final Thoughts: It’s the small things that make a big difference

You don’t need a full system overhaul to start seeing results. Small, consistent actions add up. Celebrate safe behaviour, mark milestones, and recognise when people go above and beyond. This keeps safety at the front of people’s minds and boosts morale along the way.

Review, refresh, repeat

Health and safety is not something you can “set and forget”. Risk assessments, procedures, and policies need to be reviewed regularly to stay relevant and effective. It’s about staying one step ahead, not reacting after things go wrong.

Mental health is health, too

Finally, don’t forget that health includes mental wellbeing. Encourage regular breaks, create opportunities for rest, and support open conversations about stress and mental health. A safe workplace is one where people feel seen, heard, and supported both physically and mentally.

For more support, you can read our recent blog on creating a community at work here.

Want health and safety that works in real life?

If you want to move beyond tick-box compliance and build a health and safety approach that actually works, get in touch. Whether you need a full strategy or just a steer in the right direction, support is just a conversation away.

To see if we're the right fit for you, find out more about us here

Because when safety is simple and meaningful, it works.

FAQs

1. What’s the legal requirement for managing health and safety at work in the UK?

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, all employers have a legal duty to do what is “reasonably practicable” to ensure the health and safety of workers and of others who may be affected by what they do or do not do. This means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control it in terms of money, time, and trouble.

This includes carrying out risk assessments, providing training, consulting employees, and having systems in place for emergencies and reporting.

But beyond legal requirements, good safety management is simply good business. It protects your people, your reputation, and your bottom line.

2. Do I need a written health and safety policy?

Yes, if you have five or more employees, you’re legally required to have a written health and safety policy. This should include your general approach (the statement of intent), your responsibilities (who does what), and your arrangements (how risks are managed in practice).

If you have fewer than five employees, it’s still best practice to have something written down so everyone is clear on expectations.

3. How often should I review my risk assessments?

There’s no fixed timeline, but risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and any time there’s a significant change, such as new equipment, changes in staffing, or after an incident or near miss.

A common benchmark is at least once a year, but the key is to keep them live and relevant, not buried in a folder.

4. What counts as a ‘near miss’ and why should we report it?

A near miss is an event that had the potential to cause harm but didn’t, this time. Reporting near misses helps you learn before something more serious happens. They often point to underlying risks that need fixing.

Creating a culture where near misses are valued, not ignored or dismissed, is a powerful way to reduce future accidents.

5. How can I get my team more involved in health and safety?

Start with communication. Make it clear that safety is everyone’s responsibility, not just the manager’s. Encourage feedback, reward safe behaviour, and act on concerns quickly. When people see that speaking up leads to action, trust grows.

Ensure business leaders are seen on the shop floor engaging regularly with workers, and appoint health and safety reps, either trade-union appointed or representatives of employee safety.

Embedding safety into onboarding and making it part of everyday conversations is often more effective than formal training alone.

6. What kind of emergencies should I plan for?

It depends on your business, but common scenarios include:

• Fire

• Medical emergencies

• Mental health crises

• Violence or aggression

• Gas leaks or chemical spills

• Power failures or equipment faults

• Extreme weather

• Suspicious packages or lockdown scenarios

  
  

The goal isn’t to plan for everything. It’s to plan for what’s relevant to you, then practise the response so people know what to do without panic.

7. Do I need specialist software to manage health and safety?

Not necessarily, but the right digital tools can make life much easier. Apps and systems can help with reporting, tracking training, completing audits, monitoring compliance, and keeping records in one place. They save time, reduce admin time, and improve visibility.

It’s not about replacing your judgment; it’s about giving you the tools to apply it more effectively.

8. How do we manage mental health as part of health and safety?

Mental health is just as important as physical safety. Include it in your risk assessments, create space for open conversations, and train managers to spot early signs of stress or burnout. Encourage breaks, manageable workloads, and signpost support.

A safe workplace supports the whole person, not just the task they’re doing.